The Genesis is home to lots of comic book games. There are plenty of Marvel titles and even a few DC. Also, there are some titles based on independently published comics, like The Tick, Dinosaurs for Hire, and Chakan: The Forever Man. Rubbing elbows with such company is Sega’s Ex-Mutants, based on the Eternity/Amazing/Pied Piper/Malibu series. An action/platformer with little to distinguish itself, it’s still worth spending some time with, provided that said time isn’t important at all and involves little cost.
Reviews
Microcosm
Full-motion video games are love ’em or leave ’em, and most left a long time ago. There are some out there who actually enjoy them all, and those who have an open mind are sure to find a few that they might *gasp* like! Psygnosis’ Microcosm is one title that tends to split people right down the middle, so read our full review and see where you stand.
Bloodshot
First-person shooters on the Genesis are few and far between. What’s worse is that some of that minuscule number didn’t even make it to all territories. Domark’s Bloodshot was one such game. Released in Europe (and in Germany as Battle Frenzy), it didn’t shoot its way to America until Good Deal Games snatched up the rights to the Sega CD version a decade later. Most likely a victim of a change in hardware focus, Bloodshot is actually a pretty competent FPS.
Insector X
Lots of arcade shooters made the jump to the Genesis, but some suffered great changes. Insector-X is an example of a game that went through massive graphical and audio alterations on the trip home. The cartoony visuals were traded for some seriously robotic bugs, and the soundtrack was completely swapped out. Some argue that it’s all for the better, while some say the game is worse off for it.
A/X-101
On-rails FMV shooters pop up every now and then, but the only difference between them is usually the quality of the video. As consoles progess in power and features, this particular genre never really seems to go anywhere. Perhaps that’s why they’re still not a lot of fun to play, even after so many years. Take Absolute Entertainment’s A/X-101 for the Sega CD, for instance. Grainy video, dull enemies, and some bland gameplay are everything you’d expect going in, and at least in this regard, the game doesn’t disappoint. Too bad that’s the only expectation it will ever meet. Read our full review and then go play some Android Assault to make the hurt go away.